When a car is parked and unattended, windows of a motor vehicle are often rolled up to prevent access to the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle by intruders or thieves. During the summer, the motor vehicle is often exposed to heat and sunlight when not parked in a garage or covered area. High temperatures within the vehicle can render the vehicle unfit for occupancy by humans or animals. If a child or animal is accidentally locked inside of a vehicle the child or animal can suffer from heat related injuries and illnesses.
Additionally, excessive heat within the vehicle may cause permanent damage to the interior of the motor vehicle. For example, a motor vehicle having leather seats may crack or become faded due to the heat. In addition, if food or other items are stored within the passenger compartment may spoil and become inedible. Therefore, there exists a need to provide a vehicle ventilation system that helps to cool the interior of the vehicle once a predetermined temperature has been reached, indicating that the interior of the vehicle has become excessively hot.
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to ventilation systems and roof vents for vehicles. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. Such devices include U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,674 issued to Merges which provides an auxiliary fan unit located in the roof of an automobile. The Merges device includes a fan connected to a panel that can be pushed into an open position to provide an opening in the roof of the car. Although the Merges fan unit can circulate air through the passenger compartment, the Merges device does not include a heat sensor or a solar panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,361 to Matthias provides a portable auxiliary fan unit that can be installed into the sunroof of an automobile to exhaust the air from the passenger compartment of the vehicle; U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,803 issued to Farmont discloses a sunroof having an auxiliary fan powered by photovoltaic cells; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,866 to Ricci discloses a portable fan unit, which can be installed into the sunroof of a car that is powered by solar cells. These devices, however, fail to provide a vehicle ventilation system having a temperature sensor that is configured to activate a fan assembly and actuate a roof panel to expose an opening or vent, and that also opens one or more front seat vents to allow cool air to enter the vehicle.
The present invention provides a vehicle ventilation system having a roof panel disposed on a roof of a motor vehicle configured to retract to expose an opening configured to induce air flow between the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle and the ambient environment. A fan assembly is disposed within the opening having a fan powered by a motor adapted to exhaust hot air from the passenger compartment. One or more front seat vents are also provided that allow cool air to flow into the vehicle as hot air escapes therefrom through the roof vent. The vehicle ventilation system includes a control circuit having a temperature sensor configured to actuate the roof panel, fan assembly, and front seat vents when a predetermined temperature is reached. At least one solar panel is disposed on the roof of the vehicle to provide power for the vehicle ventilation system.
It is therefore submitted that the present invention is substantially divergent in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to vehicle ventilation systems. In this regard, the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.